Hummus That Makes You Go Hmmm…

A few months ago Kareem and I joined our friends Dan and Alicia for brunch in their neighborhood. Since Kareem and I had never really explored that 'hood Dan, a fellow foodie, gave me a tip on a good gourmet market in the area. On our way back from brunch we stopped in and spent some time meandering the aisles and checking out all of the goodies. One of my purchases was Spanish smoked sweet paprika. I have played with it a little here and there but I must admit that I have really not given it a fair try. Little did I know that it would be by accident that I would discover the powerful flavor potential of this beautiful red spice.

In an attempt to de-clutter my refrigerator I decided to make some hummus with the bowl of chickpeas that were left over from a salad I had made the day before. I poured them into my blender, added a clove of garlic, a pinch of salt, a drizzle of olive oil, a few squeezes of lemon juice, and then out of no where came the idea to add a 1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika. A few whizzes and whirls of the blender later I gave the hummus a taste. Yum! The cool chickpeas were the perfect host to the sweet yet spicy paprika and the hint of smoky flavor in the background rounded out the flavors perfectly. Enjoy this with your favorite crackers, toasted pita bread, or crostini.

I should also note that I usually add tahini (sesame paste) to my hummus but didn’t add any this time and I actually preferred the taste – I find that the tahini easily overpowers the chickpeas. Omitting the tahini also makes this a much lighter dip.

Hummus That Makes You Go Hmmm…

1 15 oz. can chick peas – rinsed and drained

Juice of half a lemon

2-3 Tablespoons water (I used 2 Tablespoons but you can add another if you want a smoother consistency)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large clove garlic

1/2 Teaspoon sea salt (add more to taste)

1 Teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

1) Add all of the ingredients into a blender/food processor and blend. I add just 2 tablespoons of water but to get an even smoother consistency you can add more. Once blended taste it to adjust the flavors of salt, lemon juice, etc.